Education & development zone launches for MACH 2018

18 September 2017

Manufacturing technologies showcase, MACH 2018, will play host to an Education & Development (E&D) Zone for students aged 11-19. The Zone will bring together some the leading advanced engineering companies and educational institutions from across the UK, with the aim to shine a light on the vocational education and training that is imperative to closing the skills gap around the world.

The E&D Zone is once again supported by Sandvik Coromant, which is one of the world’s leading suppliers of tools, tooling solutions and know-how to the metalworking industry.

Kim Olander, marketing manager at Sandvik Coromant, said: “Engineering knowledge and skills are in short supply and we need to secure enough skilled people in the future to meet demand. Sandvik Coromant is proud to partner with the Education and Development Zone once again. We hope to enthuse young people about the vast range of careers engineering can offer them.”

Laura Pickering, education and development co-ordinator at the MTA, said: “We are really pleased to have Sandvik Coromant partner with the E&D Zone for the fourth show running and that some of their young engineers will be on-hand to help inspire visiting students.”

The E&D Zone will be manned by a team of apprentices and graduates from exhibiting companies at MACH. The apprentices and graduates will be giving guided tours to the students around the entire exhibition. There will be a range of hands-on, interactive activities and educational seminars throughout the week in the E&D Seminar Theatre.

MACH 2018 provides an opportunity for students to interact with industry and engage in peer-to-peer networking, to find out about technologies and careers in the following sectors: 3D Printing & Additive Manufacturing, CNC, Automation and Robotics, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Security, and Computer Aided Engineering

Sandvik Coromant will also be in attendance to share its passion for the vast range of careers engineering can offer, with the aim to attract, inspire, and motivate the next generation of British engineers.

Kim Olander, added: “As digital natives, it’s important to show students about the future of manufacturing, not just what is happening now. Further to the launch of our CoroPlus monitoring solution, we can now show students a connected shop floor from cutting tools to software solutions and on multiple devices.”

In 2016, more than 3500 students visited the exhibition over five days, and in 2018 that number looks set to increase with more compelling exhibits to attract tomorrow’s engineers to the show.

MACH is free to attend for students and school groups. Students are also welcome to attend with a parent/guardian.

You can register online from October and will receive a FREE Fast Entry pack in the run-up to the show, which will include visitor badges as well as other useful information, including a wide range of careers advice for students.